Service Learning in Analytical Chemistry: Extending the Laboratory into the Community

Service-learning provides an opportunity to actively involve students in projects of analytical nature. In this article continuing efforts at incorporating service-learning projects into the laboratory curriculum are decribed with the specific goal of engaging students in the analytical process. The first example describes an on-going project with a local organization, the Grande Ronde Model Watershed, where students compile, a database of water quality parameters to assess the impact of restoration on the quality of water at End Creek. The second example describes a partnership with scientists from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to assist the Tribe in addressing environmental issues of interest and foster joint research projects between students at Eastern Oregon University and Tribal members.